Birding Group to Visit to Burton Mere Wetlands 15th April 2013

Birding Group to Visit to Burton Mere Wetlands 15th April 2013

After we finished up at Inner Marsh Farm we decided to drop in on Burton Mere Wetland. As it happens a tree had fallen across the main road to the reception so we parked up in the filed at the top of the lane and walked down through the woodes where we saw a Nuthatch and could hear Chiffchaffs but, again, we could not see them.

The reception hide was busy as usual – a mecca for bird watchers who like their comforts. Again the glass was extremely frustrating. You are usually better standing outside the hide to the left side and getting a clear view. Anything other than a straight ahead view starts to cause distortion. – a big design flaw ! The highlight was the large flock of Black-tailed Godwit and a reasonable showing of Avocets. There were Little Grebe, SHelduck and half a dozen Gadwall. A few Cormorants sunned themselves and there were Lapwings in the distance. We walked on to the far hide and the trees were full of Tits, Goldfinches and Chaffinches and just as we got to the right angled turn to the far hide a couple had stopped to watch – and pointed out to us – a single Lesser Redpoll just a couple of feet away feeding on some thistle seeds. We watched for a minute or two before it flew off.

The far hide was fairly quiet but we enjoyed ourselves watching some Little Egrets fishing with great success – every minute or two one would grab a frog or a minnow and there seemed to be very few unrewarded plunges of bill into the water. There were Tufted Duck, Gadwall and Godwits and a single Teal but nothing much else. It was perhaps a little too blustery for birds of prey.

Bird Sightings : Burton Mere Wetland : Reception Hide

Bird Sightings : Burton Mere Wetland : Far Hide

Bird Sightings : Burton Mere Wetland : Environs